A new initiative in Grenada targeting young fathers is seeking to address the root causes of crime and violence.
“Coaching4Dads”, a pilot project by the Caribbean Centre for Child Neurodevelopment (CCCN) and funded by the Government of Canada through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) will deliver 16 weeks of father-focused workshops and group sessions in St David and St George’s.
While most parenting interventions have traditionally focused on women, Coaching4Dads is breaking new ground by centreing the emotional development of fathers — a group frequently excluded from parenting and early childhood conversations. The programme will engage 24 men who are fathers of young children (0–3), providing them with the knowledge, skills, and coaching support to parent with empathy, confidence, and non-violence.
This transformative initiative, modelled after the proven Saving Brains Grenada (SBG) framework, supports the development of physically and emotionally healthy children and disrupts generational cycles of violence.
This programme, led by Jerry Bascombe, an experienced Conscious Discipline Coach in Grenada, comes at a critical moment. As we face an upsurge in violence among young males and increasing father absence in families, experts are calling for a radical shift in how we engage men in early childhood development and violence prevention.
Stephanie Sprott, Political Counsellor at the High Commission of Canada to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, expressed Canada’s commitment to supporting fathers as a foundation for safer societies: “Investing in strong households is investing in national security. When men are supported to be present, emotionally healthy caregivers, we expect stronger households, more resilient communities, and fewer young people drawn into cycles of crime and violence. Through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, Canada is proud to partner on initiatives like Coaching4Dads, which not only uplifts the role of fathers but also gives young men the tools to lead with responsibility, compassion, and stability. These are the quiet but powerful shifts that help make our nations safer.”
Sessions will focus on emotion regulation and mental health, positive, non-violent discipline strategies, understanding child development, and building safe, nurturing environments.
The long-term goals are considered ambitious and necessary, focusing mainly on improved mental health and parenting confidence in fathers, reduced use of corporal punishment and intimate partner violence, stronger emotional bonds between fathers and children, and a cultural shift in perceptions of fatherhood and masculinity in Grenada.
The Coaching4Dads project is led by the Caribbean Centre for Child Neurodevelopment (CCCN) in partnership with community-based organisations and trained male facilitators. It is part of a broader effort to reduce family-based violence and improve developmental outcomes for young children in Grenada.
CCCN
